Fans who originally felt short changed by the all too brief final confrontation between Han Solo and his once captor in bounty hunter Boba Fett, over the Sarlaac Pit during RETURN OF THE JEDI, could at least find later consolation, enjoyment and action possibilities within this striking image set on the swamp world of Dagobah, depicting an alternate but no less exciting conflict between these two opposing shades of grey.
Bo Hampton's evocative image became a firm favourite for the classic 1993
STAR WARS GALAXY card series from TOPPS, which adapted the now iconic Boba Fett on reptile beast from
The Holiday Special - this version of the Mandalorian-armoured antagonist in his original concept/test suit whites, whilst Han retained his familiar outfit worn during the original STAR WARS.
March 15th, 2016 sees the release of the next chapter in the
ABRAMS book series chronicling the superb STAR WARS TOPPS photo card sets that would become so cherished- this time focusing on the diverse art magically brought to life for its three-year spanning
STAR WARS GALAXY, in a lovely right-size hardback once more compiled and charted by the enthusiastic original editor and writer for the linage: Gary Gerani.
Here's the book press release notes:
Ten years after the release of Return of the Jedi, the Topps Company reintroduced the Star Wars universe to collectors with a series of trading cards. Illustrated by the biggest names in science fiction, fantasy, and comics—including Kyle Baker, Moebius, Jon J Muth, William Stout, and Walter Simonson—George Lucas’s galaxy is reinterpreted in each artist’s style, portraying favorite characters, re-creating classic moments, and even inventing new scenes the illustrators always wanted to see. These trading-card images became instant fan favorites and the benchmark for visual reinterpretations of Star Wars to come. For the first time, this collection showcases the complete New Visions series; rare promotional images; an introduction and commentary by Gary Gerani; and an afterword by Drew Struzan, and cover art by Joseph Smith.
Featuring over 170 artists including Michael Allred, Sergro Aragonés, Simon Bisley, John Bolton, Bret Blevins, Timothy Bradstreet, Dan Brereton, June Brigman, J. Scott Campbell, Paul Chadwick, Howard Chaykin, Mark Chiarello, Gene Colan, Amanda Conner, Geof Darrow, Jack Davis, Steve Ditko, Colleen Doran, Dave Dorman, Steve Fastner, Bob Fingerman, Frank Kelly Freas, Rick Geary, Dave Gibbons, Keith Giffen, Jean "Moebius" Giraud, Mike Grell, Scott Hampton, Jeffrey Jones, Kelley Jones, Michael Kaluta, Gil Kane, Cam Kennedy, Karl Kesel, Sam Kieth, Jack Kirby, Ray Lago, Rich Larson, Jae Lee, John Paul Leon, Esteban Maroto, Michael Mignola, Ralph McQuarrie, Linda Medley, C. Scott Morse, Mike Avon Oeming, Jimmy Palmiotti, George Perez, John Pound, George Pratt, Joe Quesada, P. Craig Russell, Zina Saunders, Mark Schultz, Bill Sienkiewicz, Joseph Smith, John K. Snyder III, Jim Starlin, Ken Steacy, Brian Stelfreeze, Dave Stevens, Drew Struzan, Boris Vallejo, John Van Fleet, Charles Vess, Jill Thompson, Angelo Torres, Tim Truman, Al Williamson, Gahan Wilson, and more
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Gary Gerani is the creator, editor, and writer of hundreds of Topps trading card sets and the author of Topps’s Star Wars series. Gerani lives in Los Angeles.
The Topps Company, Inc., founded in 1938, is the preeminent creator and brand marketer of sports cards, entertainment products, and distinctive confectionery.
Look out for the AFICIONADO review soon.
